Feed mechanism for metal sheets.



No. 810,152. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

0. J. JOHNSON. FEED MECHANISM FOR METAL SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

0. J. JOHNSON.

FEED MECHANISM FOR METAL SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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No. 810,152. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. O. J. JOHNSON.

FEED MECHANISM FOR METAL SHEETS.

APPLICATION F ILED 11111.27, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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% Jiiorzzayd No. 810,152. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. O. J. JOHNSON.

IPEED MECHANISM FOR METAL SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

, in the direction of the arrow X, Fig. 1.

OLIVER J. JOHNSONJGF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

FEED MECHANISM FOR METAL SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Ifatent.

Application filed January 27, 1904. Serial No. 190,815.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIvER J. JOHNSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling. in the county of Ohio and State of West \irginia, have invented new and useful 2 Im roveinents in Feed Mechanism for Metal and Analogous Sheets, of which the followp '5 ports the blank-feed table B and reciprocating carrier or conveyer C, which successively ing is a specification. V

This invention relates to a machine or mechanism for feednig metal or analogous sheets, one by one, from a pile or stack, and i more particularly to a feed mechanism or g machine for successively feeding can-body blanks to the reciprocating carrier or conveyer of a can-body-makiiig machine of the type described in my application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 133,031,

filed November 28, 1902.

The feed machine or mechanism comprises a holder in which a pile or stack of blanks are placed on edge and an oscillating pneumatic eed device which carries the blanks successivel from the pile to an inclined chute by whic they are delivered to the reciprocating conveyer.

The ob'ect of the invention is to provide a feed nec anisni or machine of simple and practical construction which will deliver the lanks in rapid succession to the body-making machine or other machine for operating upon blanks and will preclude the feeding of more than one blank at a time.

In the accompanyin drawings, consisting of four sheets, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, part1 in elevation, of a feed mechanism emb ying the invention and a portion *of a can-body-making machine to which the same is applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional elevation showing the blank restraining and implelling devices. Fig.- 4 is a fragmentary ont elevation of the feed mechanism vieylyed 5 is a plan view, partly in section, thereo viewed the direction of the arrow Y, Fig. 1. is a front elevation, part1 in section, in e 6 6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is ahagmentary sectional elevation of, a slightlydifl'erent restraining device. Fig. 8 is -a side elevation, on a reduced scale, showin a blank-feed machine complete in itself independently of the body-making machineandrovidcd with a valve mechanism for estab ishing anddestroying the vacuum in the vacuum feed device.

Like letters of reference refer to like part in the several figures.

Referring particularly to Fi s. 1 to 6, A represents a standard or upright portion of 60 the main frame of a can-body-making machine, and aa rearwardly-projecting horizontalbracket or frame extension which supcarries the blanks delivered thereto by the feed mechanism to the edging mechanism, which forms the side-seam hooks on the opposite edges of the blanks or other mechanism for operating upon the blanks. The blankconvcyer is reciprocated horizontallv by a rock-shaft D, which is connected to t ie conveyer by a rock-arm d and link (1 and is rocked by anv suitable mechanism. (Not shown.) The parts thus briefly described are fully shown and described in my application for patent above identified.

F. represents two upright parallel standards bolted or otherwise secured on the horizontal frame-bracket and constituting a sup- 8o porting-frame for the feed mechanism.

The blanks X are placed in a pile or stack on edge in an inclined position in a holder or supply-box F of suitable form mounted on the feed-frame. The blank-holder shown in the drawings is constructed as follows: ff

represent oppositely-disposed parallel holder bars or plates, which are arranged in an inclined position between the feed-frame standards and support the pile of blanks. The

have vertical side portions f between whic the blanks are held from lateral displacement. The supporting-bars are provided at their front ends with perforated lugs, through .which loosely passes a horizontal rod y, se- 9 5 cured at its opposite ends to'the feed-frame standards, and are capable of sliding and swinging on the supporting-rod .to adjust them laterally and as to vertical inclination. The are secured when adjusted by set-screws or t e like g. The rear ends of the blankholder bars are adjustably supported by angle-bTackets 9*, having vertical slotted arms secured to the feed-frame st andards by bolts g and horizontal slotted arms on which the blank-holder bars are secured by bolts g. Theholdenbars are thus adjustable laterally to accommodate and properly center blanks of different widths and vertically to give them the necessaryvinclination to insure the no ro er sliding of the pile of blanks forwardly in t e holder The blanks'are held from 8S- caping from the front end of the blank-holder by retaining lips or flanges formed by stri s h, Fig. 41, secured to the front ends of t e holder-bars and extending inwardly therefrom.

The blanks are taken successively from the front of the pile in the blank-holder and delivered to' the reciprocating conveyer by a feed device I, preferably in the form of a hollowvacuum-cup provided with an operative rear face of suitable yielding material, such as rubber, which insures a reliable hold on the blanks. The vacuum-cup is connected by a flexible hose i and suitable connections (not shown) with means (also not shown) for establishin a vacuum therein, so that the blank is eld thereon by atmospheric pressure when the cup is pressed agalnst the face of the blank. The air can be exhausted from the cup and connections directly by a vacuum-pump or, preferably, by an apparatus including a main vacuum-tank, a pump for exhaustin the same, and an auxiliary vacuum-cham er in the connection between the main vacuum-tank and each feed mechanism where a plurality are employed. The feed device is secured to the lower end of a swinging feed-arm K, which-is secured at its upper end to a horizontal rock-shaft k, %ournaled in suitable bearings in the upper ront ends of the feed-frame standards and provided at one end with a rock-arm is, connected by a link k with a rock-arm k on the operatin rock-shaft D for the blank-conveyer. T 1e link is preferably connected with the rock-arm k by a pin or bolt adjustable toward and from the o crating rock-shaft in an elongated slot lc' in t e rock-arm to enable the length of throw of the feed-arm to be regulated as necessary.

L represents a blank chute or guide and strip ing device arranged, in front of the blan -holder and preferably consisting of side and intermediate rails inclining downwardly and rearward] toward the reciprocating conveyer. The c ute-rails are secured at their upper ends to a substantiall U-shaped yoke or frame Z, the side arms 0 which extend between guide-ribs on the feed-frame standards, to which they are adjustably secured by bolts Z, passing throu h slots in the arms of the yoke. The side 0 ute-rails are preferably rovided with vertical flanges between whic the blank is confined and held fromlateral movement while sliding down the chute, and all of the rails are preferably curved at their lower ends to turn the blanks more nearly into a horizontal position and prevent a toosudden and violent impact of the same against the blank-conveyer.

The operation of the feed mechanism is as follows: Upon each forward movement of the reciprocating conveyer C to carry a blank into the body-making machine the feed-arm K is swung by the described operating mechpile.

anism toward the pile of blanks and presses the vacuum-cu I firmly against the fore most blank of t e pile, and as the air is exhausted from the vacuum-cup by the vacuum apparatus the blank is caused to adhere. thereto by atmospheric pressure. As the blank-conveyer makes its return or rear ward movement the feed device pulls or snaps the foremost blank'out of the holder from between the retaining-lips and carries it forward against the guide and stripping chute L. The lower edge of the blank strikes the chute first and is thereby pressed or tilted forwardly away from the lower edge of the vacuum-cup, so that air is admitted to the latter and the blank released and permitted to slide down the chute onto the reciprocating conveyer in front of therear pair of feeddogs thereof and in position to be carried forward by the latter.

To prevent the sheet from buckling when it strikes the blank-chute, and thereby def eating the proper stripping of the same from the feed device, the two intermediate chute-rails are connected just below the feed device by a transverse bar or strip Z Difliculty has been experienced in feed mechanisms of the character described to prevent the feed device from pulling more than one blank at a time from the blankholder, as two or more blanks sometimes clin together, owin r to the bur on the edges of the blanks and t e friction between the blanks caused by the weight of the pile on the foremost blanks. This is overcome in the present machine by restraining fingers or de vices M, which are secured to some suitable part of the machine, such as the yoke l, and ear on the edge of the foremost blank of the Two fingers are shown, which are of. spring metal and have hooked ends which engage the top edges of the blanks with sufficient force to prevent the movement of the second or subsequent blanks with the first blank which is'firmly held by the vacuumcup and insure the feeding of but one blank they could engage the bottom or other,edges of the blanks instead of the top edges, as shown.

Instead of the spring-fingers one or more rigid restraining fingers or devices 0, such as shown in Fig. 7, bearing against the edges of the blanks would accomplish a similar .result. In the latter case the arran ement of the restrainin device should be suc that the first blank he d by the feeding device would have to spring somewhat to pass the restrain ing device, and as the second or subsequent blanks would not be firmly held to the first blank it or they would be held back.

P represents sprin devices secured to the yoke Z or other suita le part of the machine for impelling or throwing the blanks quickly down on the reciprocating conveyer when re- If a blank is bent or for any other reason i clings in the chute, it might not reach the conveyer before the forward movement of the same. and the blank be allowed to drop on the conveyer and ride over the dogs in their rearward movement; but this is not desirable, as it necessitates the use of low feed-dogs, which in case the blank is buckled would pass under the blank in their forward movement and would not catch and carry it forward. A device or devices of any other construction and arrangement could be used in place of described; but they are efiicient and re- In the mechanism above described a valve for destroying the vacuum is not necessary to 1 chned osition, a chute arranged in front of the practical operation of the feed device, for the movement of the same is so short and it is out of contact with the blank for such a short period of time that the vacuum is not impaired to an extent to effect the economical operation of the. machine. If preferred, however. a valve can be employed for the feed device. and in Fig. R a feed-machine is shown indelivered to said chute w1th their front faces volving a valve. This figure also shows a feed-machine complete in itself independently of the machine for operating upon the blanks and capable of use in connection with any sort of machine. In this modified form the feed device Q is constructed and operates as before described. but is mounted on a separate independent frame q and is actuated from a rotary drive-shaft R by a crank-wheel r. link I", and rock-arm r secured to the rockshaft for the feed device. The pipe or connection between the feed device and vacuum apparatus is provided with a valve S, of any suitable form, which in one position does not obstruct the pipe-passage and in another position opens the pipe to the atmosphere. The valve is actuated by a cam T on the driveshaft and a lever t, which is oscillated by the cam and engages the valvestem. Any suitable valve and operatingmeans for the same and the feed device can be employed.

hile a pneumatic feed device such as described is deemed' preferable, the other described features of the feed mechanism would also be desirable with a feed device of different character-such, for instance, as an electromagnetic feederand the claims for such other features are not restricted to acon.- struction employing a pneumatic feed device. The feed devices described pull the blank directly from the blank-holder in a direction 5 i vice is carried by the latter and which bears substantially at right angles to the plane of the blanks in the holder,' and the blank is maintained in substantial parallelism with this position until it is detached from the feed device. While the swinging feed device arranged as described is deemedpreferable for The'impelling device could be omitted i downwardly toward the latter. a feed-arm ar- I accomplishing this result, manifestly feed devices mounted and operating in different ways could be employed to produce a like end.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a holder in which the blanks stand on edge, a stationary chute arranged in front of said holder and inclining ranged between said blank-holder and said chute and hung from above to swing back and forth between the holder and the chute, a feed device on said arm which is pressed against the faces of the blanks and to which the blanks adhere. and means for oscillating said feed-arm, whereby the blanks are removed from said holder and delivered to said chute with their front faces down, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an inclined holder in which the blanks stand on edge in an insaid ho der and inclining in substantially the same direction as the blanks in the holder, a pivoted feed arm arranged between said blank-holder and said chute, a feed device on said arm for holding the blanks, and means for oscillating said feed-arm, whereby the blanks are removed from said holder and down, said chute serving to strip the blanks from said feed device, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a holder for supporting a pile of blanks on edge, retainingi s which engage the sides of the foremost b ank to retain the blanks in the holder, an oscillatingfeed deviceforremoving theblanks separately from said holder, and a stationary restraining device past which the blank secured to the feed device is carried by the latter and which bears against the edges only of the blanks'to prevent the removal of more than one blank at a timefrom the holder, substantially as set forth.

I 4. The combination of a holder for suporting a pile of blanks on edge, a feed device or removing the blanks separately from said holder, and a stationary restraining device past which the blank secured to the feed device is carried and which scra es across the ed e of the blank carried by t e feed device to hold back succeeding blanks and prevent its the removal of more than one blank ata time from the holder. substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a holder for suporting a. pile of blanks on edge, a feed device or removing the blanks separately from said holder, and a stationary restraining device past which the blank secured to the feed doagainst the edges only of succeeding blanks to prevent the removal of more than one blank at a time from the holder, substantialiy a's set forth.

6. The combination of a holder for supporting a pile of blanks on edge, a feed device for removing the blanks separately from said holder, and a yielding restraining-finger past which the blank secured to the feed device is carried by the latter and which bears against the edges only of succeeding blanks to prevent the removal of more than one blank at a jfzimii l from the holder, substantially as set ort 7. The combination of a holder for supporting a pile of blanks on edge, an oscillatmg feed device for removing the blanks separately from said holder, and a yielding restraining-finger past which the blank secured to the feed device is carried by the latter and which bears against the top edges only of succeeding blanks to prevent the removal of more than one blank at a time from the holder, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a holder forsupporting a pile of blanks on edge, retaining- 1 s which engage the sides of the foremost b ank to retain the blanks in the holder, an

oscillating feed device for removing the blanks separately from said holder, and a yielding restraining device past which the blank secured to the feed device is carried by the latter and which bears against the top edges of the succeeding blanks to prevent the removal of more than one blank at a time from the holder, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a holder for supporting a pile of blanks on edge, an oscillating eed device for removing the blanks from said holder, an inclined chute to which the blanks are carried by said feed device, and a spring propelling device arranged above the. path of the blanks, and which is engaged and deflected by the blank carried by the feed device and which throws the blank quickly down the chute when released from said feed device, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of 'a frame, a horizontal supportingrod, a blank-holder comprising bars mounted for vertical swinging and lateral adjustment on said supportingrod, and brackets vertically adjustable on Witness my hand this 20th day of January,

1904. I OLIVER J. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

CHAs. W. PARKER,

O. M. BENTLEY. 

